The outbreak of botulism linked to a potluck dinner served at the Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, Ohio has now sickened at least 24 people. One person, a 54-year-old woman, has died, and all patients have been hospitalized. Still others are under observation.
Three people are in critical condition, according to Fairfield Medical Center. The hospital has activated its Incident Command Center. More patients are being treated at other hospitals in the area.
About 60 people were in attendance at the event, including some children. Dr. Andrew Murry of Fairfield Medical Center said, “we are encouraging everyone who attended the potluck to report to the emergency room or their nearest medical facility for questions and also to seek an evaluation for further medical care.”
Botulinum toxin is produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which forms spores that can grow under low oxygen conditions. Improperly canned food is almost always the vehicle for foodborne botulism infections. Botulism toxin has no taste or smell and it does not change the look or texture of food. Public health officials do not know what food contained the toxin, but are investigating. They have collected food samples from the dumpster at the church and from people’s homes, and those samples will be tested by the state health department.
Only a tiny amount of the toxin is needed for paralysis and death. Anti-toxin is given to patients, but it only removes the toxin that hasn’t been absorbed by the nervous system. So the longer a person waits for treatment, the more critical symptoms he will have and the less effective the toxin will be. In fact, the anti-toxin is effective if given within four days of exposure. It can take weeks for someone who contracts this illness to recover.
The hospital has set up an emergency hotline for anyone to call if they have questions at 740-687-8053. The Ohio Department of Health is taking over the investigation and will provide more updates as the occur.
The symptoms of botulism poisoning include droopy eyes, blurred and double vision, and difficulty swallowing. As the paralysis progresses, people lose the ability to breathe. Foods that have been contaminated with this toxin are low-acid canned foods such as beans and meat, baked potatoes wrapped in foil, and garlic-infused oil.
